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Thomas Frey - Senior Futurist at the DaVinci Institute

Currently browsing posts found in March2008


A Vaccine for the Ebola Virus?

March 31st, 2008 at 9:19 pm » Comments (0)

Scientists may finally be on the cusp of finding a vaccine for the Ebola virus. According to an article in EurekAlert:



Software that Ranks Facial Attractiveness

March 31st, 2008 at 7:49 pm » Comments (0)

An Israeli team of computer scientists has developed software that ranks facial attractiveness of women. Instead of identifying basic facial characteristics, this software has been designed to make aesthetic judgments — after training. The lead researcher said this program ‘constitutes a substantial advance in the development of artificial intelligence.’



The Gateshead Millennium Bridge

March 31st, 2008 at 7:34 pm » Comments (0)

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The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne in England between Gateshead on the south bank, and Newcastle upon Tyne on the north bank. The award-winning structure was conceived and designed by architects Wilkinson Eyre and structural engineers Gifford. Second video after the jump.



The Top 101 Sites on the Internet

March 31st, 2008 at 11:01 am » Comments (0)

Our friends at the Telegraph in London have come up with their list of the top 101 websites on the Internet. We are pretty sure they have overlooked a ton of great sites, and its skewed towards British thinking. But its worth a look.



Putin Proposes Tunnel from Russia to Alaska

March 31st, 2008 at 10:38 am » Comments (0)

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, is to raise plans for a tunnel to link his country with America when he meets his US counterpart, George W Bush, next Sunday.
The 64-mile tunnel would run under the Bering Strait between Chukotka, in the Russian far east, and Alaska; the cost is estimated at £33 billion.



Sweet Home Alabama – Russian Style

March 31st, 2008 at 10:15 am » Comments (0)

Prepare yourself for this one – maybe with a Stoli martini or two. This is the craziest version of “Sweet Home Alabama” you’ll ever see.  Ever!
 



Climbing up the Ice Fang

March 31st, 2008 at 7:39 am » Comments (0)

The Fang is an ice formation in Vail, Colorado is a world famous ice pillar that forms on exceptionally cold winters. Then, when the weather drops, these cascades turn into a giant pillar of ice: a 50 meters high column and about 8 meter large at the base. Video after the jump.
 



Robotic Spider Demonstrates Moves

March 31st, 2008 at 7:29 am » Comments (0)

 This short video shows you how flexible a robotic spider can be.  Very cool.
 



Silicone Head Implants to Make You Taller

March 31st, 2008 at 7:11 am » Comments (0)

A surgeon has devised a new way of adding up to 2 inches to a person’s height – inserting a silicone head implant.
During a 90-minute operation an incision is made in the side of the head and the implant squeezed in between the skull and the scalp.



Nomophobia – A Whole New Reason to Panic

March 31st, 2008 at 6:57 am » Comments (2)

Anxiety is the affliction of life in the modern world. Now add to the stress list: “nomophobia”, the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.
Researchers in Britain have carried out a study and found that nomophobia is plaguing our 24/7 life — running out of battery or credit, losing one’s [...]



China’s Factory Problems

March 31st, 2008 at 6:42 am » Comments (0)

Rising costs and regulation have led to shutdowns and restructurings in China like those that tore through America’s heartland.



Nano Love

March 31st, 2008 at 6:41 am » Comments (0)

ZnSe nanowires grown on a ZnSe particle which appeared as a heart shape.



DVRs Confuse Boomers

March 31st, 2008 at 6:41 am » Comments (0)

Just back away from the set. There is nothing to confuse you here.
Baby boomers may have more buying power than millennials, but those younger consumers are more comfortable using new technology such as streaming video, DVRs, VOD and PPV.



Just Don’t Call Me Ugly

March 31st, 2008 at 6:40 am » Comments (0)

They have quaint names like the fangtooth, the roundnose grenadier, the chiasmodon niger, the spookfish and the dolichoteryx longpipe.
But they are some of the most frightening-looking and ugliest creatures on earth – denizens of the deep which inhabit the darkest reaches of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, one of the most inhospitable places on the planet.